1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to gas fires, and, more particularly, to an improved substantially soot-free gas fire produced in a fireplace by forming a bed of broken, tempered glass, and utilizing one or more specifically formed gas pipes that burn hotter and cleaner.
2. Description of Related Art
Many types of simulated coal, log or gas fireplace devices are known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,604,850 to Payne discloses an illusion device using a screen, formed from transparent or semi-transparent material, such as mica or glass. The mica or glass is shaped into small panels or windows held in frames to simulate a bed of coals. The screens are mounted on a frame, and a gas pipe is mounted under the frame. When the gas pipe is lit, an illusion of a coal fire is formed by the screens. However, there is no disclosure or teaching in this patent, of utilizing a bed of glass made from shattered or broken tempered glass supported on the base of a fireplace, and having a gas pipe of a specific design in the glass bed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,656,558 to Brix et al. discloses hard glass fire retardant glasses, which can be tempered in a conventional air-tempering plant, having specific heat transmission values. However, there is no disclosure in this patent of breaking the hard glass, and then using such broken, tempered glass in a fireplace to form an attractive fire therein.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,671,175 to Campbell discloses a fireplace log burner, having a centrally disposed gas outlet held in an elongated trough-like body with granular refractory material held therein for distributing and burning the gas. The granular refractory material held in the trough-like body is disclosed as being course gravel expanded vermiculite, pearlite, or the like, may be used to aid burning logs held over the trough-like device. No disclosure of broken, tempered glass in a bed to form an attractive fire is found in this patent.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,110,063 to Mitchell discloses a heating appliance operated from a gaseous fuel, having a plurality of refractory bodies simulating solid fuel, mounted on the top of a distributor for the gaseous fuel. The simulated solid fuel bodies, when heated, glow to provide the appearance of glowing coals. A U-shaped tube is positioned in a holding tray containing a bed of particulate refractory materials, such as sand. The refractory bodies are supported on the bed of sand. However, no mention is made in this patent of the type of gas pipes used, or the forming of the gas pipe to other shapes, nor is there any disclosure therein of having substantially soot-free flames appearing on the top of a bed of glass supported within a fireplace.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,233,348 to Corry discloses a method for producing and a product thus produced using raw ceramic bulk fibers to produce imitation coals for use in a fireplace grate. This patent also lacks a disclosure or teaching of using a bed of broken, tempered glass to produce an attractive fire of the present invention.
Further U.S. Pat. No. 4,306,537 to Mitchell, U.S. Pat. No. 4,573,905 to Meyers, U.S. Pat. No. 3,582,250 to Chatfield, U.S. Pat. No. 4,828,485 to Jankowski and U.S. Pat. No. 4,890,601 to Potter disclose other gas burners or simulated gas fires, but do not disclose specific elements of the glass fire and method of the present invention, or the type of gas pipes used to form a substantially soot-free fire. Furthermore, such patents do not disclose the use a valve in the gas pipe, to control the color and other attributes of the flame by using a remote control unit.
Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide an improved gas fire in a fireplace. It is a particular object of the present invention to provide an improved soot-free gas fire. It is a further particular object of the present invention to provide an improved soot-free glass fire, and method of making. It is another particular object of the present invention to provide an improved soot-free gas fire, comprised of a bed of broken, specially-formulated, tempered glass pieces formed around a gas pipe. It is yet another particular object of the present invention to provide a method of forming an improved substantially soot-free gas fire made from specially-formulated, tempered glass pieces, which tempered glass pieces are made from glass that has been baked three times in a temperature and oxygen controlled environment, whereby, when the tempered glass is broken, the size and shape of the pieces obtained thereby is controlled. It is a still further object of the present invention to provide an improved substantially soot-free gas fire using a bed of broken, specially-formulated, tempered glass pieces having a specifically-formed gas line therein, which gas line has special xe2x80x9cvxe2x80x9d drilled openings formed therein to provide a hotter, cleaner-burning flame which is soot-free and provides a more pleasing appearance. And, it is still yet another particular object of the present invention to provide an improved method for making a substantially soot-free gas fire in which tempered glass, baked three times in a controlled temperature and oxygen environment over a predetermined period of time, is broken to form smooth-edged pieces. The formed pieces of the broken, tempered glass may be washed and sifted to remove any debris, and may be further abraded or polished to form glass pieces without sharp edges, if needed, and when used with the specially formed gas pipe is not changed in color and appearance.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention are achieved by providing a bed of glass pieces in the base of a fireplace, which bed of glass has pieces made from specially-formulated, broken, tempered glass. The broken pieces are tightly packed around a gas line in the fireplace, in a desired configuration. The gas line is specially formed by drilling offset or staggered holes at approximately 45xc2x0, in two rows creating a xe2x80x9cvxe2x80x9d formation, approximately 90xc2x0 apart on a top surface of one or more gas pipes. The gas pipes may also be formed into any desired configuration to provide an aesthetically pleasing-shaped fire over the bed of glass pieces.